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Increased urinary leukotriene E4 excretion in patients with atopic dermatitis
T Hishinuma1, N Suzuki, S Aiba
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
Background:
Synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) is known to play a part in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases.
Objectives:
To define the involvement of cysteinyl LTs in atopic dermatitis (AD).
Methods:
Synthesis of cysteinyl LTs was assessed in patients with AD and healthy volunteers by measuring urinary LTE4, a useful index of systemic cysteinyl LT synthesis, using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
Results:
Mean +/- SD urinary LTE4 levels in patients with AD (125 +/- 69 pg mg(-1) creatinine, n = 20) were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in healthy volunteers (60 +/- 19 pg mg(-1) creatinine, n = 17). A significant correlation between urinary LTE4 and total serum IgE levels in patients with AD was observed (r = 0.643, P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Our findings demonstrate an enhanced synthesis of cysteinyl LTs in patients with AD and suggest that cysteinyl LTs are involved in the pathophysiology of AD.